We can find out a lot about ourselves when given an opportunity to play with an Etch-A-Sketch and a microscope.
This project is a typology crafted through an apparatus that is able to collect Etch-a-Sketch self-portrait drawings from passersby.
Please consider changing playback resolution to 4K for a more optimal viewing experience.
I’ve enjoyed the freedom of viewing this project from the prospective of an alien and observing human behavior more through an anthropological lens. What was immediately exiting to me about this prompt was giving myself the means to build an “alien machine” – that allowed an excuse to engage with the public in a more direct way. I was first setting out to somehow be able to capture individuals’ drawing processes over time. I attempted to draw under the MacroZoom MZ .7 to 5x Zoom microscope, but alas pens bleed too much…
I’ve also been reflecting on Western cultures complicated dynamic with structure and order. In fact strangely enough, the drawing of the Vitruvian Man comes up when you Google “Western culture”. My goal was to capture a large number of strangers all throughout Pittisburgh (and hopefully beyond). With that being the case, I had to prioritize a system that was portable enough that I could at least setup in some larger public and liminal spaces throughout CMU.
Each video portrait was approximately 2-3 minutes each.
Script:
“Are you willing to participate in a series of self-portraits? I’m asking people to draw the universe in relationship with your body through an Etch-a-Sketch. You’re going to stand here and try to work in this little region of the microscope. Try to look ahead as much as possible. You can look down if you need to see if you’re out of bounds. And with that, you have two minutes and your time starts now.”
click here for more Vitruvian Self-Portraits
A special thank you to Nica Ross, Golan Levin, and the Studio for Creative Inquiry for providing the space and resources to make this project happen.